Debate Topic: Education

[Soxy]

LCR, a teacher from downstate IL asks (with some minor additions):

 

What is your stance on standardized testing across the boards for schools as seen in No Child Left Behind? Do you think that there are alternatives to NCLB that would be better; if so, what? Finally, how will you make sure that ALL student's learning needs are being met, from students in special education programs to students in accelerated, AP, and IB programs?

 

 

 

 

 

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[sox4lifeinPA]

Education must be considered a national priority. Higher education radiates social and financial benefits for individuals and communities in the short and long term. According to the College Board “there is a correlation between higher levels of education and higher earnings for all racial/ethnic groups and for both men and women.” Likewise, there are high rates of participation in civic duties such as volunteer work, voting, and blood donation. No doubt these are valuable by-products of an initiative that is marked with good intentions.

 

No Child Left Behind is a wonderful mantra. Who would disagree with this concept? It is completely logical to strive for every child to have access to quality education to make the best of themselves, contribute to their communities, add to a growing economy, and continue to show the world why the United States is such a wonderful place of opportunity.

 

Unfortunately, somewhere between the warm-fuzziness and the harsh reality of bloated school budgets we must decide how to really “leave no child behind.” This requires us to face three issues: funding, spending, and school attendance options.

 

The endowment of schools should be a mixture of state and federal subsidies and local taxes. This should be based on need and not performance. I believe the state should have overall authority to monitor school progress and performance of students in order to keep school districts accountable to keeping graduation rates high, drop out rates low, and college attendance a viable option for any student. These are very easy landmarks amongst many to follow and document.

 

The National Center for Fair & Open Testing states that standardized tests “do not measure the ability to think or create in any field. Their use encourages a narrowed curriculum [and] outdated methods of instruction.” Therefore, measuring a school’s performance by flawed testing practices is unfair to the students.

 

My plan would better protect teachers from lawsuits from overzealous parents and punish more harshly teachers found to be abusing children. I would have more thorough hiring practices for teachers and aides based on character, desire, ability and then education because I believe forced mandates on GPA and/or test scores does not tell the full picture of quality teachers that are lost due to such false requirements.

 

In my opinion, spending and attendance options go hand in hand. School budgets are dominated by teachers’ salaries and one major suggestion for relieving the growing pains is to have smaller high schools. My plan has a perfect remedy for this: When children are faced with so many options when they leave school, why shouldn’t they have options while in high school? I believe through student research and organization, parent and mentor involvement, and guidance through school counselors, children should have options to pursue Performing Arts high schools, Mentor/Work Life schools, Trade and Technical schools as well as College Preparatory schools. These types of schools should be encouraged in every school district. This would allow for teacher specialization, better education for students, and smaller facility needs which leads to overall lower operating costs.

 

Thank you for taking the time to consider my initiatives on the education crisis in America.

 

PA

[Texsox]

LCR, as a teacher I am certain you have noticed with mergers and acquisitions the reduction in the number of text book publishers that are available to you. Further, with large states, (re: customer for text books) specifically Texas and California, mandating the material that must be contained, we are rapidly establishing a national standard even without standardized tests. A local school board may impose all the standards they like, however, without the resources for a teacher to use, the situation becomes one of frustration for teachers, students, and parents.

 

 

 

So I believe a national standard is inevitable. So the question becomes who we would prefer to establish this standard. The writers and editorial board at Prentice-Hall, or via the government? I believe we need to recognize this fact and build within that a system that allows local influences as well.

 

 

 

What I would like to talk about more than anything in education is the hijacking of all a child's education and placing that at the feet of the schools. We have allowed the schools to be the final arbitrator and resource for teaching our children. We have removed the parent from the equation. The schools should be considered one of the tools that parents use to teach their children. Allow me to elaborate.

 

 

 

I place the parents at the top of the pyramid in raising their children. They alone have final responsibility to deliver their child to adulthood. Asking the schools to teach everything from spelling to morality is wrong. Every child is home schooled. Let me say that again so it is clear. Every child is home schooled. They learn more from watching the adults around them then sitting in a classroom.

 

 

 

Parents contract out to others the education opportunities in areas they are unfamiliar and which amplified. Our public school system does an admirable job in teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and all the traditional subjects. We need to give them the time and resources to teach these subjects. We should not make them responsible to be teaching your child morality, ethics, and other basics of life. The parents need to take responsibility for that training. If they need to find help in those areas, much like they do with schools, that is fine as well. Parents need to then find organizations that reflect their family values. That could be through their religion or character based youth activities like sport leagues, karate, Awanas, Boy and Girl Scouts, YMCA, Indian Guides, etc. But let us not ask our nation's pubic schools to take that responsibility as well.

[NorthSideSox72]

Excellent question, LCR. I cannot stress enough how important education is to the future of this nation. I doubt there is much disagreement among all of us here on the ballot on the fact that our current system is less than ideal, and that improving the level of preparedness of our children for the adult work is high on the list of priorities. The only question, really, is how we go about making positive changes…

 

I’ll first echo the general statements made by my esteemed colleague Texsox, that parents need to take a vested interest in the process. Unfortunately, with the current world of two parents working more than full time, and with the ease of access to alternatives to face time with the parents… we are seeing movement in the opposite direction. On a personal level, this is upsetting, and I expect more. But ultimately, it is not the government’s place to force that issue.

 

So what can we do? I will respond to your question about standards and testing, and suggest some paths we can take.

 

Regarding standardized testing, I must confess I am no expert. What I do think is that standardized test, like grades, are flawed – one is objective but too narrow or skewed, the other is more all-encompassing but ultimately subjective. So, like any good evaluation should be at our jobs, the ultimate view should look at a combination to be effective. A series of smaller standardized tests (instead of one giant annual one), created by multiple different companies, would represent that objective, statistical information. The grades students receive from the teachers they see every day would be the subjective, broader data.

 

What do we do with that data? Form paths and plans for each student’s education individually, using all that information and more. There is no such thing as the perfect curriculum for all students. As they get older and more varied in their directions, so should their options.

 

Programs like AP and IB (accelerated) and Special Education (remedial) should still be part of the puzzle, as they give students the right challenges. We just need to make sure we are putting people in the right track.

 

High levels of specialization, as suggested by other candidates, is good as part of the curriculum – but not the entire core. The basics – math, reading/writing, science, etc. – still need to make up that main course of study. Which brings up a last, very complicated question – should there be a national standard curriculum? The answer, to me is a limited yes. But, that curriculum should cover that regular core solely, and leave plenty of room for local flexibility. As to where that set of standards should come from, I think the answer is – elite educators. From all over the country and at all levels of education, those teachers recognized as truly excellent should be brought into a special committee to determine that core curriculum.

 

I wish I could speak more, but I am at my word limit!

[Gregory Pratt]

I am in agreement with NorthSide.

[Rex Kickass]

Personally, I think that standardized testing is a good way to gauge a student's progress - but by no means the only way to do so. I don't know a lot about the education world, but I can say that I think the idea of closing the gap between the schools with better educated students and schools with students facing more difficulties is a noble one.

 

I think the solution to this issue isn't necessarily a federal one though. Perhaps we need to look at how schools are funded and look to make the funding more equitable across the board. Teacher performance evaluation should be an important factor as well. Although I support the idea of tenure in the academy, I'm not so sure that it belongs in primary and secondary education facilities.

 

Frankly, I don't know a lot about NCLB. I do know that it may have created more problems than its worth. When it's up to me, I'm talking to the people that have the best notion about what needs fixing. School teachers and administrators. Parents and students. Those are the inputs that I would value most.

[NorthSideSox72]

TOPIC CLOSED.